Universal spraying nozzle

ABSTRACT

An atomizing nozzle is disclosed, which is of simple, inexpensive construction while being capable of highly efficient atomization of liquids. A nozzle case is formed with a cylindrical recess for closely receiving a disc-shaped whirl body and separate nozzle element. The outer wall of the whirl body is formed with a plurality of inclined whirl passages which impart turbulence and whirl to the liquid. The nozzle element has a central, axial discharge passage which communicates with the whirl passages via a peripheral ring duct and a plurality of radial ducts formed on the upstream face of the nozzle member. An acceleration disc is fitted in the recess, on the upstream side of the whirl body. It is formed with a convergent central passage, a peripheral ring duct, and connecting radial ducts, providing for an accelerated flow of fluid to the several whirl ducts. A pressure-deformable regulation bell is placed against the upstream face of the acceleration disc. The bell has an eccentric inlet passage and defines a flow chamber which varies with the pressure at the incoming side, to compensate for its variations.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a universal spraying nozzle fordispersing fluids under pressure, containing a disc-shaped vaporizingbody placed in the bore of the nozzle case and a nozzle connected tosaid vaporizing body by its headwall, wherein the bore of the nozzlecase is in connection with the surrounding space on the one hand and thespace containing the fluid under pressure on the other hand; there arewhirl ducts between a whirl body and the nozzle case, the nozzle has acentral bore, and between the whirl body and the nozzle there is atleast one ring duct and there are radial ducts that connect the ringduct and the central bore.

The polluting effect of the liquid power gases used in aerosol bottlesis getting more and more obvious, therefore their elimination is moreand more reasonable and the application of non-polluting power gases,e.g. air is emphasized considerably. That is why nozzles aremanufactured where the perfect forming and dispersion of the spray isensured exclusively by mechanical effects. In this case the activeingredient occupies a certain percentage of the volume of the containerand the separate propellant gas is under overpressure not being unitedinto the fluid. The volume rates are determined basically by theviscosity of the fluid. In this case, the dispersion is performedexclusively by the flow of the fluid under pressure in the sprayingnozzle.

It is well known that the quality of the spray cloud vaporized by thespraying nozzles is good if the particles have extremely smalldimensions, their distribution is uniform and they are producedcontinuously. In order to realize this quality, a pressure of about 3atmospheres must be applied when using a liquid propellant gas. If thegas does not participate in forming the spray cloud because it is notsoluble in the fluid or because it can not be mixed with it, at least 6atmospheres must be applied in order to achieve the required quality ofthe spray cloud.

A description of nozzles of this type can be found e.g. in the FrenchPatent No. 2,325,434. The nozzle of that patent contains ring ducts anda central whirl chamber in order to ensure a fine atomization of thefluid. However, the shape of the whirl chamber enables uncontrollableflows and the chamber does not contain elements that increase the speedof the fluid in the direction of the outflow. Therefore it is notsuitable for dispersing relatively low pressured fluids in a form offine mist, without using propellant gas.

According to U.S. Pat. No. 3,652,018, sulphur is applied in forming thedispersion cloud. This type of nozzle has ducts separated from eachother by means of baffles. The four ducts flow into a centralcylindrical mixing chamber and form the spray cloud in this way.However, this nozzle is not suitable for dispersing products thatrequire higher quality standards, e.g. hair fixers, deodorants, airfresheners or insecticides. These fluids must have a particle size ofbetween 5 and 10 microns in the air after dispersion, in order to ensurea quick evaporation on the one hand and a hovering state of the drops inthe air on the other hand.

Another device that operates without propellant gas dissolved in thefluid to be dispersed is shown in the European Patent No. 0,000,688. Itsmain feature is that it has a nozzle core arranged in the body of thenozzle so that the feed ducts that are perpendicular to the internalwall of the nozzle body lead the fluid by a perpendicular impact intomulti-stage switching ducts formed in the body of the nozzle, where awhirling flow of the substance occurs. From there on the material flowsinto a ring duct, then toward the outlet opening through othertangential ducts. It is evident that the turbulence between theswitching ducts and the circular rings promotes the formation of thespray, but the perpendicular impact is not the best way because in thecase of flowing liquids it causes a considerable decrease of thepressure. Therefore the motion energy of the liquid decreases. Thechanges of the direction of the flow have also a disadvantageous effecton the quality of the spray.

An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a universalspraying nozzle that ensures a dispersion of good quality without theexistence of any power gas united in the active ingredient, simplymechanically without a need for shaping a complicated system of ducts.Therefore it is considerably simpler than the previous nozzles andaccordingly it can be manufactured at considerably less cost.

According to the invention, the spraying nozzle contains a disc-shapedwhirl body in the bore of the nozzle case and a nozzle connected to itby its headwall. There are whirl ducts between a whirl body and thenozzle case. The nozzle has a central bore, and between the whirl bodyand the nozzle there is at least one ring duct and ducts that connectthe ring duct and the central bore. The whirl ducts, located between thewhirl body and the nozzle case, and the generatrix of the outer wall ofthe whirl body make an acute angle, suitably an angle of between 5-45degrees. The ring duct, between the whirl body and the nozzle, is formedin the nozzle, along its perimeter.

The whirl ducts can be shaped either on the external wall of the whirlbody or in the internal wall of the nozzle case.

Preferably in front of the whirl body there is an acceleration disc thathas a contracting bore in the direction of the whirl body. On theheadwall toward the whirl body it has radial ducts and a ring duct alongits perimeter.

The outer wall of the ring duct in the nozzle and/or in the accelerationdisc is formed suitably by the mantle of the bore in the nozzle case.

Between the acceleration disc and a shoulder formed in the bore of thenozzle case, there is a regulation bell having an edge which butts onthe acceleration disc and a flexible bottom plate formed with aneccentric bore.

A spraying nozzle head constructed in this way is suitable for producingextremely fine mist by means of a power gas not united into the activeingredient in the bottle; e.g. by means of air. Its shape is relativelysimple and doe not require complicated tools. Therefore its manufactureis not expensive.

Further details of the invention will now be described by way of examplewith reference to the accompanying drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross section view of an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view as taken on line 2--2 of the sprayingnozzle shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the regulation bell and theacceleration disc.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view as taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows the acceleration disc and the regulation bell of FIG. 3under pressure.

FIG. 6 shows a view of the front wall of the acceleration disc.

FIG. 7 shows a front view of a suitable construction form of theacceleration disc.

FIG. 8 shows a lateral view of a suitable construction form of the whirldisc.

FIG. 9 shows a front view of a construction form of the nozzle.

FIG. 10 is a front view demonstrating another possible construction formof the nozzle.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 consists of elements arranged in the boreof the nozzle case 1. The bore of the nozzle case 1 connects to theinterior of the liquid bottle through an inlet passage 2 that iscylindrical at the bottom and conical at the top, and through aninjection bore 3. The injection bore 3 opens into a forechamber 4 closedon the opposite side by the wall of a regulation bell 5.

The regulation bell 5 surrounds and partly defines a turbulence chamber6 and joins with an acceleration disc 7. A whirl body 8 and nozzle 9 arearranged in the nozzle case 1, directly downstream of the accelerationdisc.

The nozzle case 1 is generally made of plastic whose elasticity modulesensures the proper fixation of the elements pressed in its bore.

The material to be sprayed out enters through the inlet passage 2 andthe injection bore 3, flows through the forechamber 4 and passes intothe turbulence chamber 6 through the circular inlet bore 10 of theregulation bell 5.

The acceleration disc 7 has a concentric acceleration nozzle 11 throughwhich the flow of the fluid is caused to contract in the direction offlow. The acceleration disc 7 is also provided with a ring duct 12 onits front wall.

On the outer wall of the whirl body 8, a plurality of whirl ducts 13 areformed, extending at a slight angle to a generatrix of the wall of thowhirl body. The whirl ducts 13 communicate with the ring duct 12 formedat the front of the acceleration disc.

The nozzle 9 also contains a ring duct 14 on its back wall, and isprovided with a central bore 15 and a restricted outlet opening 16.There are radial ducts in both the acceleration disc 7 and in the nozzle9, which cannot be seen in FIG. 1. They are described in detail lateron, with respect to FIGS. 6, 7, 9 and 10.

In FIG. 2 it can be seen that the fluid that flows into the forechamber4 through the injection bore 3 impacts against the wall of theregulation bell 5 in the middle, and so the whirling flow of the fluidbegins. The flowing fluid enters the forechamber at the middle of theregulation bell 5 and disintegrates into V₁ . . . V_(n) components.After covering distances of different length the flow components reachthe inlet bore 10. In FIG. 2 the components are shown so that theincrease of their index number is in accordance with the distancecovered in that direction. As a consequence of that, the energy of thefluid particles gradually decreases as an effect of the friction force.At the same time, an impact occurs between the different componentswhich have different energy, and a considerably whirling occurs as theyflow through the inlet bore 10.

The way of the fluid particles that flow through the inlet bore 10 ofthe regulation bell 5 can be followed in FIG. 3. The components impactagainst each other once more on the back wall of the acceleration disc7, then along this wall they turn round in arcs with different radii andflow to the contracting acceleration nozzle 11. Because of the fact thatthe different components cover different distances in differentdirections while going to the acceleration nozzle 11, the whirling,swirling characteristic of the fluid motion further increases.

In consequence of the effect of the fluid arriving under pressure thebottom plate of the regulation bell 5 strains (see FIG. 5) and thisdeformation also influences the current conditions. When the pressure isrelatively high in the container, the regulation bell 5 strainsconsiderably, and thus decreases the volume of the turbulence chamber 6.Accordingly the cross section of the flow is smaller, too. As thepressure of the incoming fluid decreases, the deformation of theregulation bell 5 gradually decreases also, and the cross section of theflow in the turbulence chamber 6 becomes correspondingly bigger.Accordingly, the device automatically compensates the differencesgenerated by the change of pressure in the container, and ensures auniform dispersion.

As previously mentioned, the particles of the fluid go from theturbulence chamber 6 to the acceleration nozzle 11. When the particlesleave the accelerating nozzle at the downstream surface of theacceleration disc 7, the elementary particles have a whirling motion asan effect the previous impacts, and they even rotate around their owngeometrical axis independently of their resultant direction of motion.All these motions are generated by the speed components of differentdirection and magnitude that effect the particles in the forechamber, inthe turbulence chamber and in the acceleration nozzle 11.

The particles that leave the acceleration nozzle 11 exit radially viaradial ducts 17 on the front wall of the acceleration disc 7. The radialducts 17 are formed by rib guides 19. These are prisms that are formedas is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. They have radial ridges, and their heightdecreases along the two sides of the ridge. The illustrated embodimentcontains four rib guides 19, but their number can be even bigger.Usually at least three rib guides 19 are necessary.

Through the radial ducts 17 the fluid flows into the ring duct 12 thatis shaped so that its external wall is formed by the wall of the bore ofthe nozzle case 1, as can be seen in FIG. 1. In the ring duct 12 thefluid particles flow around and go into the several whirl ducts 13 ofthe whirl body 8. The whirl ducts are formed in the outer wall of thewhirl body 8 as shown in FIG. 8. The whirl ducts 13 and the generatrixof the wall of the whirl body 8 make an acute angle which usually isbetween 5-45 degrees and is about 30 degrees in the illustrated example.In the whirl ducts 13 the particles of the fluid get a further whirlingimpulse, and in this way they enter the ring duct 14 formed in thenozzle 9.

Several shapes are possible in forming the whirl ducts 13. In the deviceshown in the drawing, semicircular whirl ducts are provided, but thecross section of the whirl ducts can be triangular, trapezoid, etc. Afurther variation possible is to form the whirl ducts 13 in the wall ofthe bore of the nozzle case 1.

As shown in FIG. 9, the fluid that flows in a whirling manner into thering duct 14 leaves the ring duct through a plurality of radial ducts 18leading to a central bore 15. The bore 15 operates in effect as aturbulence chamber, and a maximal whirling of the particles occursinside.

The radial ducts 18 can have either parallel or divergent walls as itcan be seen in the modification of FIG. 10. In certain cases the ductscan be situated tangentially in relation to the central bore 15 shown onthe lower part of FIG. 10.

The flowing particles of the fluid fill the ring duct 14 within a veryshort time and a s result of the force of the fluid that flows incontinuously the particles flow to the central bore 15 through theradial ducts 18. The number of 15 the radial ducts 18 is variable, butat least two ducts are necessary.

The fluid that flows to the center through the radial ducts 18 goes tothe central bore 15 that serves as a turbulence chamber, and there thewhirling motion increases because of the considerable decrease of thevolume. It not only promotes the breaking-up of the particles but alsoincreases their speed considerably. The particles flow out of the outletopening 16 with this increased speed.

Considering that the fluid to be dispersed has a speed and whirl thatare getting greater and greater gradually from entering the inlet boreof the regulation bell through the acceleration disc and the whirl bodyand the nozzle, the speed and the whirl reach their maximum at theoutlet opening 16. Therefore when the droplets of liquid are dischargedinto the air, they disintegrate into uncountable atomized particles asan effect of the untraceable, multi-directional and multi-dimensionalspeed components that overcome the internal cohesion forces of thefluid. And upon getting out to the air the particles burst like anexplosion, and form a misty cloud. There is another important point inthe fact that, during their way through the spraying nozzle, theparticles of the fluid that have different speed touch each other andthe wall of the nozzle components alternately. As a result, theirtemperature increases and a considerable difference of charge occursbecause of the friction.

The spraying nozzle according to the invention produces a perfect mistand, at the same time, its construction is considerably simpler and itsmanufacture is much less expensive than that of the conventionaldesigns. Of course, many other embodiments of the spraying nozzle arepossible within the scope claimed in the attached claims.

I claim:
 1. A universal spraying nozzle for discharging and finelyatomizing fluids under pressure, which comprises(a) a nozzle case formedwith a cylindrical recess communicating at its open end with atmosphereand at its closed end with a fluid inlet passage, (b) disc like whirlbody received in said recess and defining with the walls of said recessa plurality of inclined whirl passages leading from one side to theother of said whirl body, (c) a nozzle member tightly received in saidrecess, on the downstream side of said whirl body, in the direction offluid flow and having a central, axially directed discharge passage, (d)said nozzle member and said whirl body being in tight face to facecontact, (e) means forming a ring passage between said nozzle member andsaid whirl body, communicating with the plurality of whirl passages, anda plurality of radial passages, communicating between said ring passageand said nozzle discharge passage.
 2. A universal spraying nozzleaccording to claim 1, further characterized by(a) said ring passage andsaid radial passage being formed in the upstream face of said nozzlemember and being closed in part by the down-stream face of said whirlbody.
 3. A universal spraying nozzle according to claim 2, furthercharacterized by(a) said ring passage being formed in part by the wallof said cylindrical recess.
 4. A universal spraying nozzle according toclaim 1, further characterized by(a) said whirl passages being inclinedat an angle of from 5 to 45 degrees to the generatrix of the outer wallof the whirl body.
 5. A universal spraying nozzle according to claim 1,further characterized by(a) an acceleration disk being received in saidcylindrical recess, on the upstream side of said in contact with saidwhirl body, (b) said acceleration disc being formed with a central axialacceleration passage of diminishing cross section in the direction ofliquid flow therethrough, and (c) means forming a ring duct between saidacceleration disc and said whirl body at their outer edge margins and aplurality of generally radial ducts communicating between saidacceleration passage and said last mentioned ring duct.
 6. A universalspraying nozzle according to claim 1, further characterized by(a) adeformable regulation bell being positioned in said recess, toward theupstream end thereof, (b) a disc-like member being positioned on thedownstream side of an in sealing contact with said regulation bell, (c)said regulation bell having an inlet opening of restricted size andlocated substantially offset from the center thereof, (d) saidregulation bell defining with said disk-like member a fluid chamber, and(d) said regulation bell being deformable under external fluid pressureto provide compensation for changes in fluid pressure at said inletnozzle.